Reerigerator



Mar. 6, 1923.

w 7 4 11 E D L U H C s I REFRI GBRATOR 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed June 11', 1917 v 4 N la a 63mm t (/0 HA/ Sc/#04 0 5,

Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN SCHULDE, or s'r. Louis, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO HARRY L. .HUSSMAN REFRIGERATOR & SUPPLY COMPANY, or sit. LOUIS, MIssoURI, A CORPORA.

TION OF MISSOURI.

REFRIGERATOR.

Application filed June 11, 1917. Serial No. 174,072.

'10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SOHULDE, a citizen of the United States, andresiding at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented the certain new and useful Improvement.

in Refrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to show-case refrigerators, being directed more particularly to features in the nature of improvements on a refrigerator of this type disclosed in Patent Number 1,225,682, granted May 8, 1917.

In the operation of such refrigerators, it is of the highest importance that a circulation of air be maintained through the showcase and that the air in circulation be caused to travel in an outgoing path from the refrigerant along the bottom of the show-case and in a return path to the refrigerant along the top of the show-case, whereby the cold or refrigerated air travels along beneath the display shelves and upward through the goods thereon, and the warm air passes above the goods back to the refrigerant. It 'is also desirable that the Waste from the refrigerant be utilized as an auxiliary cooling medium in the show-case and that dead air spaces or pockets, which create eddy currents in the air circulating through the show-case,

be avoided.

It has been found that in the use of refrigerators of this type, there exists a tendency to pile and arrange the goods on the display shelves in such a manner that the' A further object of theinvention'is to,

provide against the formation of. dead air spaces or pockets, particularly at the ends and corners of the case, thus to insure proper circulation of the air and its freedom from eddy current.

Further objects of the invention are to generally improve and simplify the construc fully hereinafter described.

It is proposed to employ as a refrigerant, a mixture of cracked ice and salt, because of the known properties of such a mixture to produce, with a minimum quantity of ice, a max mum degree of refrigeration, that is, a maximum lowering of temperature, comparative with the amount of ice used.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1-is a side elevation of a showcase refrigerator embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken centrally and longitudinally therethrough;

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3, of Fig. 2, and showing parts on an enlarged scale; and,

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4-4: of Fig. 2.

, Referring to the drawings. it will be seen that the refrigerator comprises an oblong box or casing 1 having suitably insulated walls and enlarged at one end, herein termed the rear end, to provide a refrigerating compartment 2 which opens into the show-case proper forming the refrigerator compartment 3.

Set in the casing 1 in position to form the top wall of the compartment 2 is a hinged lid or door 4, while set in the front sidewall of the showcase proper is a pair of fixed transparent panels 5, and in the rear wall thereof, a plurality of transparent panels 6 hinged as shown, to form doors affording ready access to the interior of the compartment 3 which is adapted to receivethe goods to be displayed. At this pointit will be noted that th side walls of the casing slope from the top'thereof downward and outward to a point below the panels 5 and 6, as seen Inoreclearly in Fig. 4;, whereby the goods on display may be conveniently viewed through these transparent sides of the case.

Suitably sustained in the refrigerating compartment 2, to which access may be had through the door 4., is a container 7 preferably composed of sheet metal and traversed fore and aft by a plurality of tubular fines 8 and 9, constituting air passages opening imum surface areafor a given cubic space.

In consequence, there is offered to the air which may circulate freely over and through this body; arrelatively' large refrigerating suriace resulting ina rapid absorption of heat from the air and,theretore, in a rapid and thorough refrigeration oi the latter. The passages or flues Sand 9 are all pitched at a suitable inclination from their rear ends downwardly and the passages 8 are tapered fromend to end with their largerends opening toward the compartment all for a pur pose which will more fully hereinafter appear. p

The bottom of the container is made u p of a plurality of spaced channelled bars m1 slats ll, arranged, seen more clearlv in Figure below the spaces between the lower lines 8 and with sharliiv convex faces of the slats uppermost. These slats cooperate with the fines to support the retrig erant mixture in the container and at the same time permit tree escape ot the water wasting from said retrigerant as the ice melts.- r

Arraiiged in the compartment beneath the container T, is a drippan 12 subdivided by a vertical tore/and aft partition 13 into :a pan" of COIIIPZlll'lHGDlJS' and adapted to overflow at its forward edge into a pair oi? overflow pans let adapted; one to each of the compartmentsof the dripipan and ex-.

tending therefrom longitudinallv through the show-case or refrigerator compartment 3 and adapted to act in said compartment as-"aheat absorber and, therefore. as an auxiliary cooling medium for said compare ment. The bottom of the pan 12 ispitched. at ageneralgtorward andupward inclination; idaptingit to accumulate and hold a quantity of water before overflowing into thepans 1'45, which in turn are pitched at a. general forward and downward inclination. following-the inclination of the inner bottom faeeofthe show-case on which tliev .res't. Each-0t the pans 14; which hasits bottom transversely corrugated to accumulate and hold a portion of the brine water flowing therethrough, is" open at its top and 'iscov ered and protected by a openwork wire screen" 15, and these pans areadaptedto overflow at theird orward (lidS'fOI discharge lntia' a 'drainbasin:16 provided with a drain tube 17 on which is mounted a teinovable trap 18 in the form of a tube, bent to substantially ti -shape, as seen more clearly in Figure 2. This construction permits of the trap being readily removed in order that the'basin '16 and pipe Il'i' may be properly and conveniently cleaned; i V

Attached at its upper edge to the front wall of the container at a peintbelow the: uppermost fines or passages 9, is an insulated shield oi bathe l9',preferably consisting of outer metal plates having between them, an insulated asbestos filling. This shield extends troni its point of attachment, outwardly away from the container at astut able inclination downwardlv to provide for the tree passageot' air outwardthrough the fines S immediate]; behind said battle and also for the free passage. of air llplvttl 'd llef tween said bai'lie and the adjacent wall of the casing 1 into the uppermost lines or passages 9-. a I Ab ittilig at itsrear end, a ain'st the bafile' 9. at a point suitably below 1e iippeij ll 01" the casing L, and. extending long 7 1 ndr nally throii n the compartment 3 in spaced parallel relation with said wall, is a plate '20 ofinsulatedconstruction like the bafiie l9, constituting an insulated shield lying beneath the top otthe compartment 3. This plate which is of angular cross section and inclines from its side edgesinward and dowi vard to its medialbottom. line. cooperates with the top wall of the casing to form an air passage or duct 21 running longitudinally through the compartment 3 and having side inlets 22 and a torward end inlet :23 termed. respectively. by suitably spacing the side edges of the plate from; theadjacent \YtllS ot' the casing and by terininating'the plate short of the torward end ot'. the casing. The duct thus formed, operates to conv the air circulating through the refrigerator compartment or show-case proper. in its return path to the refrigerating compartment and more particularly to the 'i'iassages 9 leading through the refrigerant. as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2 it being noted in this connection that the inclined side walls of the showuse act" to direct the air upward and through the inlets into the duct 21 while the inner surlace oi the casing at its forward end is suitably curved at the points Qeland icr directingthe outflowing current of air upward along the forward end wall of the casing and back into the for ward end of the duct through the inlet opening 23. v

lllounted on suitable supports in the coinp artment is a. pair of vertically spaced latticed shelves 26 and 27 of which the lower shelf26 is disposed immediately above and in spaced relation to the screenlo, which covers the pan 14E, while the sli'eltQT' which together with the shelf 26, afl'ord ample accommodation for the goods to be displayed, is disposed about centrally between the shelf 26 and shield 20. i

In practice the container 7, having been filled with the refrigerant, such as described, which. may be introduced thereinto by open ing the door 4, and the goods to be pre served and displayed having been properly arranged on the shelves 26 and 27 within the compartment 3 to which the goods is introduced through the doors 6, the doors are all properly closed and refrigeration begins. The warm air within the casing, naturally rises and is directed in the manner heretofore explained, into the passageway 21 through which it travels rearwardly toward the refrigerative body and is directed by the baffle 19 upward between the walls of the casing and container; into the uppermost tubes or passages 9. The air entering these passages 9 flows throughthe refrigerative body to the rear space or chamber 10, and

thence backwards through the refrigerative body by way of the passages 8 to the com-,

pa-rtment 3. It is obvious that the air in flowing back and forth through the refrigerative body or unit, becomes highly refrigerated and rariiied in the manner fully eX- plained in the above noted patent, to which reference may be had for a more detailed description on this point. The warm air in passing from the duct 20 to the flues 9 is, be-

cause of the upward inclination of the lat ter, caused to travel more readily than heretofore, while the refrigerated air. returned to the compartment 3 through the flues 8 is, because of the downward inclination and tapered formation of the latter, caused to travel more readily than heretofore, and is directed downward and in a path along and immediately above the pan la which acts as an auxiliary cooling medium for preserving the highly chilled condition of the air. The bafiie 19 serves not only to direct the air from the upper fines S downward, but also to set refrigerant, thus to prevent chilling of the warm air by direct contact and preventing the formation of an eddy current at the rear end of the passage 21, while the curvature given to the inner face of the refrigerator compartment at the i)oints 24 and 25, serves not only to direct the current of air usheretofore explained, but also to eliminate dead air spaces and the formation of eddy cure.

the refrigerative body. It 18 to be underrents at these points.

It will be recognized as an obvious condition in the operation of a refrigerator of this ried to the refrigerant to be chilled thereby. This is accomplished through the provision of as hield 20 which not only prevents the goods being piled upon the shelf 27 in a manner toblock the circulation of air, but also operates as a duct which immediately receives the warm air admitted through the doorG and carries this air to the compart ment 2, for refrigeration, it being noted that such air, as may be admitted by opening one of the doors 6, will, when said door is closed, be thrown against the opposite side wall of the compartment and because of the inclination. of said wall, be thrown upward into the space or duct 21 through the inlet 22, where it will be taken up by the current of air flowing through said space and carried to the refrigerant in the manner heretofore explained.

The circulation of the air in a show case refrigerator of the type described is of spe cial utility where the doors are at the side and where panels are arranged at the side or sides. This arrangement avoids loss; for when the doors are opened, the outside air will not rush in as would be the case if the doors were at the end or at the top, in view ofthe fact that the doors are not in the direct path of the refrigerating current of cold air. Moreover, this construction prevents moisture from accumulating on the glass panels so that these glass panels will not become clouded, thereby maintaining a clear vision of the articles inside of the refrigerator, which is necessary in show case constructions. The inclined walls are of special utility in a construction where the refrigerating current is in a path along the bottom and along the top as this not only prevents theformation of air pockets in the corners thereby retarding the circulation, but also concentrates the returning warm air in the narrow duct forming only a small part of the total show case volume.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the device accomplishes the stated objects of the invention, among which may be mentioned chiefly. the directing of the outflowingcurrent of air downward toward the bottom of the compartment 3 for travel beneath the goods on the shelves and along andincontact with the auxiliary cooling medium 14; the rapid collecting of the warm air and its quick return to the refrigeratingcompartment,and the induction of a ready flowing of the air in the passages 8 and 9 through and a compartment adapted to receive a refrigerant, means for causing a current of air to circulate through said refrigerator compartment outward from said refrigerant and in a return path thereto, an open-ended duct provided at the top of the refrigerator compartment adapted to receive and convey the air in its said return path, the duct havinglateral inlets, and a side door in said refrigerator, compartment positioned so as to be out of the path of said current of air.

2. A counter refrigerator comprising a casing having a refrigerator compartment and a compartment adapted to receive a refrigerant, means for causing a current of air to circulate through said refrigerator compartment outward from said refrigerant and in a return path thereto, and an openended duct provided at the top of the refrigcase.

era-tor compartment adapted to receive and convey the air in its said return path, the duct having lateral inlets and the said compartment having upwardly and inwardly sloping side Walls.

3. A counter refrigerator comprising a casing having a refrigerator compartment provided with upwardly and inwardly sloping side walls, means for refrigerating said. compartment, means for causing a current of air to circulate through said compartment, thepath of the warmer air being along the top thereof, and a shield beneath the top of said compartment opening toward the sides and one end thereof.

4. A refrigerator comprising an elongated showcase provided with transparent panels at the sidethereof and constituting a refrigerator compartment, a refrigerant container at one end of said compartment, a waste pan extending from said container along the bottom of said compartment, adapting the Waste from the refrigerant to collect and flow along the bottom of, and through, said compartment in order to act as an auxiliary cooling medium therefor, and means for causing a current of air to circulate through said show-case in a path along and immediately above and in con tact with the auxiliary cooling medium.

5. A refrigerator comprising a show-case provided with transparent panels at the side thereof and constituting a refrigerator compartment, a refrigerant container at one end of said compartment, means adapting the waste from the refrigerant to flow along the bottom of, and through, said compartment as an auxiliary cooling medium therefor, means for causing a current of air to circulate through said show-case in a path along and immediately above the auxiliary cooling medium and in a return path along the top of the show-case, and a shield beneath and spaced from the top of the show- 6." A refrigerator comprising a showcase" provided with transparent panels, a refrigerating unit mounted at one end of the showcase and adapted to receive a refrigerant, and means adapting the waste from the refrigerant to flow through the show-case along the bottom thereof, as an auxiliary cooling medium therefor, the said refrigerating unit having passages therethrough, said passages being pitched at an inclination to cause a current of air to circulate through said unit and show-case in a path along and immediately above the auxiliary cooling medium. a

7. A refrigerator comprising an elongated show-case provided with transparent panels at the side thereof, a refrigerating unit at one end thereof adapted to receive a refrigerant, an overflow pan extending along the bottom of the show-case and adapted to be fed by waste from the refrigerent and to form an auxiliary cooling medium, and

means for causing a current of air to circulate through the show-case in a path along and immediately above said pan and in con tact with the cooling medium.

8. A refrigerator comprising an elongated show-case having transparent panels at the side thereof, a refrigerating unit mounted at one end of the show-case, said unit having passages therethrough opening toward the show-case, means adapting the waste from said unit to collect and flow along the bottom, and through. the show-case, and a shield lying beneath and spaced from the top of the show-case adapted to direct the air currents therein.

9. A refrigerator comprising an elongated show-case having transparent panels at the side thereof. a refrigerating unit mounted at one end of the show-case, said unit having passages therethrough opening toward the show-case, an overflow pan extending along the bottom of the show-case for carrying off the waste from the said unit, and a shield lying beneath and spaced from the top of the show-case adapted to direct the air currents therein.

10. A counter refrigerator comprising an elongated show-case having upwardly and. inwardly inclined side walls and provided with transparent panels, anda refrigerat ing unit adapted to receive a freezing mixture and mounted at one end of said showcase, said unit having passages constructed and arranged to permit a circulation of air therethrough and along the back thereof, and said unit being adapted and positioned to'cause a current of airto circulate in a path from the bottom of said unit along the bottom of the show-case and in a return path along the top of the show-case into the top of said unit.

11. A counter refrigerator comprising an elongated show-case provided with transparent panels at" the side thereof, a-refri'g crating unit adapted to receive a freezing mixture and mounted at one end of said show-case, said unit having. passages construoted and arranged to permit a circulation of air therethrough and along the back thereof, and said unit being adapted and positioned to cause a current of air to circulate in a path from the bottom of said unit along the bottom of the show-case and in a return path along the top of the showcase into the top of said unit, and an open top overflow pan arranged along the bottom of the show-case and adapted to receive the brine from said unit.

12. A counter refrigerator comprising an elongated show-case having upwardly and inwardly inclined side walls and provided with transparent panels, and a refrigerating unit adapted to receive a freezing mix ture and mounted at one end of said showcase, said unit having passages constructed and arranged to permit a circulation of air therethrough and along the back thereof, and said unit being adapted and positioned to cause a current of air to circulate along the bottom of said show-case outward from said unit and in a return path along the top of said show-case to said unit.

13. A counter refrigerator comprising an elongated show-case having upwardly and inwardly inclined side walls and provided with transparent panels a refrigerating unit at one end of said show-case, and means for causing a current of air to circulate from said unit along said show-case, the path of the cold air being along the bottom thereof and the path of the warmer air being along the top thereof.

14. A counter refrigerator comprising, an

elongated show-case having upwardly and inwardly inclined side walls and provided with transparent panels, a refrigerating unit at one end of said show case, said unit having passages constructed and arranged ture this 27th day of to permit a circulation of air therethrough and along the backthereof, and said unit being adapted and positioned to cause a current of air to circulate in a path from the bottom of said unit along the bottom of the show-case and in a return path along the top of the show case into the top of said unit, and a pan extending along the bottom of the show-case beyond said unit and adapted to receive the brine from said unit.

15. A counter refrigerator comprising, an elongated show-case provided with transparent panels, a refrigerating unit mounted at one end of said show-case, said unit having passages constructed and arranged to permit circulation of air therethrough and along the back thereof an auxiliary refrigcrating element extending along the bottom of said show-case beyond said unit, and a latticed provision shelf immediately above said'element, whereby a current of air is caused to circulate in a path from the bottom of said unit along the bottom of the show-case and in a return path along the top of the show-case into the top of said unit. v

16. A counter refrigerator comprising, an elongated show-case provided with transparent panels, a refrigerating unit mounted at one end of said show-case, said unit having passages constructed and arranged to permit circulation of air therethrough and along the back thereof, an auxiliary refrigerating element extending alongthe bottom of said show-case beyond said unit, and latticed provision shelves above said element, whereby a current of air is caused to circulate in a path from the bottom of said unit along the bottom of the show-case and in a return path along the top of the show-case into the top of said unit.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signa- July, 1916. JOHN SCHULDE. 

